The top small businesses in BC were announced on Thursday February 26 at the 12th Annual Small Business BC Awards celebration at the Pan Pacific Vancouver.

Oliver’s Firehall Brewery (Sid and Marie Eve Ruhland pictured  in file photo) competed fiercely in the Premier’s People’s Choice category for the last four months, helped in part by publicity through Oliver Daily News and the Oliver Community Arts Council, of which the Brewery is a member. The Top Five finalists were announced a month ago. Firehall Brewery was among them, swept to the top of the heap by online voting from supportive Oliver fans. Those finalists then had to sweat their way through interviews with a  judging panel a la Dragon’s Den.

The overall winner, announced Thursday, may have been Julie’s Edible Bouquets of Quesnel,  but Oliverites know the Firehall Brewery will always be their TOP People’s Choice! Congratulations Sid – and cheers to your beers!

A note about this award from Small Businesses BC Awards website: “Sponsored by the Government of British Columbia, the Premier’s People’s Choice Award celebrates BC’s amazing entrepreneurs by recognizing a small business that is the heart of their community.  The Premier’s People’s Choice Award is presented to a BC business that can demonstrate that they have the unwavering and loyal support of their community. This award is for a small business that can show that their community thinks they go above and beyond. Using any imaginative, creative, or traditional tactics available, interested businesses will apply for the award, and engage their customers, clients and neighbours to vote for them online.” More news here:  sbbcawards.ca/news

Tickets coming mid-March!

BC Leather Works has recently joined the Oliver Community Arts Council as a business member. Welcome!

You will get to meet them — if you haven’t already — at the Spring Arts Faire. They will selling their fine leather products as well as marketing their repair and custom services. Yes, they have belts, purses, and wallets, and yes, they do shoe repair. But did you know they also make clothing (vests, jackets, chaps, aboriginal regalia) as well as holsters, scabbards and sheaths for everything from knives to rifles to your favourite bottle of beer?

Here’s what proprietor Chris Dricos has to say about his love of leatherworking:

“As I was growing up I remember going with my dad to his shop in Kerrisdale, Vancouver as he was working I would play climbing in and around the chairs and foot stools that lined the wall for people to sit and wait for there shoes to be repaired. As years went by I went from climbing through the chairs to shinning shoes while customers were waiting and learning how to repair & dying shoes back in those days Ladies had satin shoes that they would change colours. Over the years I would work after school and on weekends working along side may dad.

” In 1969 I met Barb my wife and in 1970 got married. In the early 70’s we sold hand crafted belts to the Hudsons Bay in downtown Vancouver. In the later 70’s we moved to 100 Mile House, BC and operated a shoe repair & leather working business for a number of years.

“From there we moved to Oliver, BC not knowing what I would be doing. Just happened that there was a shoe repair that was looking for someone to do repairs. After 1 1/2 years the owner wanted to cease doing repairs and offered the equipment to us. Barb and I talked it over and Realizing what a gift My Father had passed onto me and that it was something we could do into our Golden Years Barb bought me the equipment we started the shoe repair business. I have heard Barb saying to others it is nice to hear me whistling while I work.”

Check out their link on the right side of the page under “Businesses” or here: www.bcleatherworks.ca

Photo Credit: Jack Bennest, Oliver Daily News

by Dennis Nordlund

On Friday night, the people from Oliver and area who ventured to the Frank Venables Theatre were treated to a very entertaining evening of polished piano music from Sara Davis Buechner. That evening’s performance marked the first time Sara had performed in the impressive Frank Venables Theatre, and on the new Yamaha C3 grand piano.  She had previously visited Oliver and performed at the old Venables theatre four years ago.

Sara’s concert was very entertaining as it included not only exceptional piano performances but also a good number of comedic interludes. Her talents at the keyboard were enhanced by clever stories sometimes carried out in a thick New York accent. Over the years, she has made a concerted effort to include a good deal of dialogue in her concerts after experiencing too many dry and ‘music-only’ recitals as a youth.

She opened the concert with the Fantasia in D minor by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Sara showed a very tasteful interpretation of essentially an ‘improvisational’ piece by including her own embellishments in the whimsical section at the end. Following the Fantasia, she played the Sonata in D major KV576, which was one of the last Sonatas that Mozart composed.  Sara progressed through the energetic Allegro, the relaxing minor Adagio and the contrapuntal Allegretto. The dexterity of both her hands through the scale passages in the last movement was quite impressive.

Sara then played a set of three Viennese waltzes of Austrian composer Eduard Gartner that had been arranged by pianist Ignaz Friedman.  Sara demonstrated her technical abilities in this playful waltz form filled with large leaps and intricate passages.

Sara’s love of music was evident in her artistry and her physical involvement at the piano. Even as she focused on the difficult repertoire you could tell she was enjoying herself at the keyboard. She connected with the audience through her music, of course, but also through interesting dialogue about the compositions and good old-fashioned humour.

Following the intermission Sara surprised the audience with two wonderful Rhapsodies of Johannes Brahms, Op.79. She played the B minor followed by the G minor.  Sara convincingly conveyed both the stormy intensity and the gentle melodies that Brahms is known for in his works.

Moving into the 20^th century, Sara chose to play works of George Gershwin.  Gershwin played songs and improvisations to be recorded on piano rolls when he was only 14 years old.  Sara played a set of Foxtrots from this collection.  Some were from transcriptions of the approximately 250 piano rolls that Gershwin recorded over the years, and one was a piece that she learnt by ear from a recording of a piano roll when she visited Japan. It is not often that one hears a concert pianist perform repertoire that he or she has learnt by ear for an audience.

Following her last piece, and a very appreciative applause, Sara announced she would perform ‘The Man I Love” by Gershwin as a final song for the evening. The audience breathed a collective sigh and enjoyed the very sincere rendition Sara offered of a popular Gershwin standard. I am sure that the audience at the Frank Venables Theatre would be very happy to welcome Sara Davis Buechner back for another performance in the future.

Upcoming concerts:

QuintEssence: a cappella chamber choir. Friday, March 27, 7:30 p.m. Venables Theatre. Flex pass or single ticket $20. Available at Beyond Bliss Esthetics.

Jenavieve Moore: lyric soprano.  Friday, April 10, 7:30 p.m. Venables Theatre. Special ticket $20. Available at Beyond Bliss Esthetics.

The Premier League tournament of The Masters of Trivia is only 4 days away.Teams are arriving. Hotels are full and library reference books are all checked out on loan. Competitors are registering and claiming team spots…Solo competitors are registering to form teams..The Einstein Cup is being polished to a gleam.The Quiz is ready and the time is nigh.Register your team or yourself quickly while a few spots are still left.

Regards, The Quizmaster

Members of the Desert Sage Spinners and Weavers Guild may be going in circles in late March, but they promise to have something to show for it! From March 27 to 29th, the guild will be participating in a Spinning Workshop at Walnut Beach Resort in Osoyoos.

Although the classes are sold out, there will be an opportunity for visitors to have a sneak peek at the activities. The public is invited to an Open House on Saturday, March 28th from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free. Fleece, yarn & fibre will be available for sale from the vendors. Walnut Beach Resort is at 4200 Lakeshore Drive, Osoyoos.

Pictured: DSSW Guild member spins at the Country Market A-Fair in Oliver.

A Message from Tiffany Beckedorf, organizer:

V-Day Oliver-Osoyoos has joined the global V-Day movement, whose mission is to raise awareness and funds to help stop violence against women and girls. This year we are pleased to raise funds to support the Okanagan Nation Emergency Transition House (ONTEH), the Penticton and Area Access Centre to facilitate Facets Holistic Self-Discovery programming, as well as Desert Sun Counselling and Resource Centre.

We would like to cordially invite you to attend our event to celebrate International Women’s Day, ‘One Billion Rising: A Celebration and Art Show’. This unique multi-media art show is inspired by the theme of ‘The Silent Voice’; using art as a vehicle to inspire social change and transform violence into love.

We are honoured that Chief Clarence Louie and Council of the Osoyoos Indian Band (OIB) have graciously allowed us to hold this event at their community hall. The event will take place on Sunday, March 8^th, 2015, at the OIB Community Hall in Oliver, BC from 12 to 4 in the afternoon.

We would be thrilled to have you join us in celebrating women around the world, with guest speakers, traditional dancing, music and other entertainment as well as wine and refreshments. We anticipate a great turnout at this public event. It is good to know that with one afternoon of fun, many hundreds of people can benefit.

Southern Okanagan Secondary School

Music Fundraising Concert

Thursday February 19 – 7:30 pm

Featuring Penticton’s Thursday Night Jazz Band and students from the SOSS Band and Musical Futures classes. This evening fundraiser will help local music students attend the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival at the University of Idaho.

Tickets are $10 from the SOSS office, students and musicians or at the door.

South Okanagan Concert Society 

Sara Davis Buechner, Pianist

 Friday February 20

7:30 pm

 “Buechner has it all … intelligence, integrity and all – encompassing technical prowess”

The New York Times   

The concert in Oliver is not to be missed, Sara Davis Buechner has graced the stages at Carnegie Hall. Lincoln Centre and the White House.

Tickets at Beyond Bliss in Oliver, Imperial Office Pro in Osoyoos or at the door

Schell Shock Entertainment 

KINDA KENNY with special guests Marty Edwards & The Revival

Friday March 13

7:00 pm

This #1 Kenny Rogers tribute act has been seen across North America, Europe and Southeast Asia. Coming to Oliver along with the hot new 60’s & 70’s tribute act ‘Marty Edwards & The Revivals,’ KINDA KENNY promises to be a memorable night of music and entertainment. Tickets at Beyond Bliss on Main Street in Oliver.

South Okanagan Concert Society presents 

QuintEssence

Friday March 27, 2015 

7:30 pm

QuintEssence offers a fresh, innovative concert experience for lovers of music of any style. Their concerts showcase cherished opera repertoire of phenomenal quality and exotic musical gems by celebrated songwriters spanning Schubert to Britten and Gershwin to Weill. They will dazzle you with vocal pyrotechnics, melt your heart with beautifully sung poetry, and stretch your musical frontier to the limit with adored music from off the beaten track. Tickets at Beyond Bliss Esthetics in Oliver, and Imperial Office Pro in Osoyoos.

South Okanagan Concert Society 
Jenavieve Moore

Friday April 10, 2015

7:30pm

Lyric soprano, Jenavieve Moore is currently studying opera at the prestigious Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. Originally from Oliver, Jenavieve’s career makes her equally at home on the opera and concert stage and has performed across North America, the UK, Germany and Malta.

“Jenavieve’s voice is beautiful…she positively embraced the stage and captivated our audience.”   Rosemary Thomson, Okanagan Symphony Orchestra

Tickets at Beyond Bliss Esthetics in Oliver, and Imperial Office Pro in Osoyoos.

EMCAMP for teens is a new initiative presented by the Penticton Academy of Music in the Leir House that will take place during Spring Break 2015. Teens are invited to sign up and come explore the rich and diverse world of electronic music – edm, pop, techno, dubstep, trance, house, ambient.  Students will learn the technical side of electronic music creation (including recording, editing, multi-tracking, beat sequencing, and mastering), explore the history of electronic dance music and receive hands on tutorials to create their own composition. No prior musical experience is needed. With lots of one on one time with the instructor, Andrew Wedman and his assistant, Allan Eggert, this course is suitable for all experience levels. A large focus of this course will be on experimenting with different compositional techniques and finding your own personal style. Equipment is provided but students are asked to bring their own set of headphones. Each student will finish the camp with their own original track that is mixed, mastered and ready for the DJ.

Instructor Andrew Wedman formed the techno duo Tinkertoy with former punk / ska singer Paul Shrimpton in 2000. After releasing on their own record label Lautmaschine, Tinkertoy was signed to Noise Factory Records, released two albums and performed live electronic music in Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, New York, Cologne, Berlin and Barcelona. Andrew now performs experimental music using pianos with alternate tunings most recently in Toronto and Berlin and works as a certified piano technician in the Okanagan. Andrew Wedman holds an ARCT in piano performance and he majored in music theory and studied electro acoustic composition for his undergrad at McGill University.

EMCAMP runs Monday to Friday from 10am – 3pm March 16 – 20 and March 23-27. Sign up for one week or two. For more information and to download a registration form visit www.pentictonacademyofmusic.ca, visit the Academy of Music office in room 1 of the Leir House or call 250.493.7977. Space is limited so register early to avoid disappointment.

Itchy feet? Wanderlust? Ever dreamed about weighing anchor for a life aboard ship? Find out what it’s like to “live the dream” at the Oliver Regional Library. Meet Aubrey and Judy Millward, who sailed away in the 32-footer, Veleda IV, for SIXTEEN years!

Follow their story in slideshow format as they lead you down the Mississippi, across the Atlantic, around the British Isles, down the rivers of Europe, and through the Mediterranean.

Living the Dream (Part 1)

Thursday February 26

7:00 pm

Oliver Library

Here are some of the highlights from their journey:

• Their voyage from Toronto down the Mississippi, across the Atlantic Ocean to England and up the Seine River to Paris
• The Mediterranean Sea from Barcelona to Tunisia, Turkey, Israel, and Egypt
• The Black Sea from Istanbul to Sevastopol and The Canal du Midi from the Mediterranean to Bordeaux and their second crossing from the Canaries and Cape Verdes to Antigua and the Caribbean
• They will talk about their liveaboard lifestyle for 16 years.

Pictured above: Veleda IV up the Bosphorus in front of the Rumeli Fortress in Turkey.

Visit their website at www.veledaiv.ca  for further info.

And while you’re at the library, just think of all the travel books and sailing adventure stories just waiting to be checked out!  Ask the librarian for suggestions.

OLIVER GRANDMOTHERS FOR AFRICA BRIDGE TOURNAMENT

On Wednesday, February 18, the Oliver Grandmothers for Africa group is sponsoring a Bridge Tournament at Fairview Mountain Golf Club from 10 am – 2:30 pm.   A light lunch (sandwiches/dessert/tea/coffee) is included in the $15 registration fee.   You and your partner can register online at bridgesocialnews @ gmail.com  or by calling Leslie at 250 498 2282.    Prizes will be awarded and some African merchandise will be on sale.  All proceeds from this event go to the Steven Lewis Foundation to support ongoing projects in Africa providing services for AIDS orphans and the grandmothers who care for them.

Sadly, the international community is losing interest in the AIDS pandemic as if it is over.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  Last year alone there were 2 ½ million new HIV infections.  In 2015 there will still be 35 million people living with the virus in Africa.  Children, orphaned as a result of parents dying of AIDS, have fallen off the map of international concern.  There are 17 million of them.  They need care. The Oliver Grandmothers are proud to play their small part in that care.  Teamed with 240 other Grandmothers groups across Canada it is possible to make a real difference.  The Grandmothers Campaign is a movement that has never been seen before…and it’s not over yet!

Grassroots groups in Africa work with tenacity, insight and tenderness to resurrect the lives of orphaned children and to ensure that they grow with a sense of belonging, opportunity and loving support.  They speak to the child’s life as a whole by providing long term counselling that reflects the changing needs as children grow from toddlers to teens:  getting them into and keeping them in school, addressing the increased vulnerabilities faced by girls, and providing continuous education and support for prevention and management of HIV infection.

Underlying all their work is the understanding that with the loss of so many family members, any remaining family structures must be protected so siblings can stay together and family homes remain intact.  Grandmothers are often at the center of all these community-based interventions.  They know that grandmothers here and around the world are organizing to stand with them in solidarity and support as they raise a whole generation of children prepared for the future and its challenges.

If you want to help, come and have some fun at the Bridge Tournament fund raiser.   If you want to join the local group contact Susanne James, President, at 250 498 4838.

The V-Day Oliver-Osoyoos 2015 campaign is well underway, as volunteers and participants gear up for the 2nd Annual One Billion Rising Celebration and Art Show,  “The Silent Voice” to be held on Sunday, March 8th, from 12 to 4p.m at the Osoyoos Indian Band Community Hall.

“This year’s art show, ‘The Silent Voice’ has motivated us to stretch the boundaries of women and violence, giving often silenced voices a platform to be heard.” says Art Show Coordinator Maxyne Lockhart.  “So far the response has been unanimously positive and we aim to double last year’s representation, participation and monies raised.  I feel strongly on both a personal and political level that addressing the issue of violence against women is necessary if we are to move forward as a healthy loving community.”

Lockhart isn’t the only volunteer for whom the subject has a personal meaning.  Osoyoos Indian Band member Darlene George (pictured above), who has been a part of V-Day Oliver-Osoyoos since the beginning had this to say about her involvement:

“I became involved because ending violence against women is something I think all people should aspire for. Being of First Nations decent brings with it a very high sense of urgency as First Nations women continue to go missing and continue to be found dead at a much higher rate than the average Canadian. Why?

“Our women are marginalized when reported missing. Instead of investigating the missing women, they are first judged and publically denounced as being involved in high-risk lifestyles. Accusations of prostitution and taking off for a party are the statements the police make to the public. The perpetrators are humanized while the victims are blamed and judged.

“The reality is that First Nations People have the highest rate of poverty in our Nation, which is proven to be one of the biggest contributing factors to high-risk lifestyles. Add to that years of fighting for recognition for the abuse suffered at the hands of the government under the guise of assimilation and abuse from churches and people of authority such as the police and you realize that our people are not even able to trust those that are supposed to keep us safe.”

V-Day Oliver-Osoyoos is still accepting artist registrations, and are always looking for volunteers to help out in any number of ways.  Our next meeting will be Thursday, February 12th at 7pm at the OIB Resource Center.  If you are unable to volunteer, we encourage you to attend the events, to participate through the purchase of a raffle ticket, or by sponsoring an ad in our program for our production of ‘The Vagina Monologues’, to be held in Osoyoos on April 10th and 11th.  For more information on V-Day, please visit our website at www.vdayoliverosoyoos.org or email vdayoliverosoyoos @ gmail.com.